Kansas Rolls Oklahoma State, 6-1
March 30, 2008
<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>LAWRENCE, Kan. — The University of Kansas tennis team excelled in both singles and doubles play on Sunday as it handled OklahomaState, 6-1, to improve its record to 7-8 (3-2 Big 12). <?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
The victory was KU’s second-straight over an Oklahoma school — the Jayhawks defeated OU, 4-3, on Friday — and was its first win over the Cowgirls since the 2004-05 season.
Kansas got off to a quick start, winning two of the three doubles matches in impressive fashion to secure the point. The Jayhawks’ No. 1 duo of senior Elizaveta Avdeeva and Edina Horvath handled OSU’s Yawna Allen and Iryna Tkachenko, 8-3, for its fifth win in the last six outings.
The Cowgirls took the No. 2 match, but KU’s No. 3 tandem of freshmen Magdalena Tokarcyk and Maria Martinez rolled past OklahomaState’s Jessica Collins and Maryna Tkachenko, 8-1.
KU then took the momentum into singles play as it won fix of the six matches, including four in straight-sets.
First to pick up a victory for KU was Dorn, who stormed past the Cowgirls’ Sasha Belova, 6-4, 6-2, giving the Sopron, Hungary, native four-straight wins in the No. 4 slot.
After OSU’s Jo-Anne Karaitiana handed Horvath a rare loss in the No. 3 contest to get her squad back in the dual, Avdeeva finished off Allen, 6-3, 6-1, in the No. 2 spot to put KU up 3-1 and on the verge of clinching the victory. Avdeeva’s win snapped a five-match losing streak.
Picking up the clinching win for the Jayhawks was Tokarczyk, who out-played Iryna Tkachenko, 6-3, 7-6 (3), in the No. 1 spot. The victory improved the Kswerow, Poland, native’s dual-match singles record to an even 7-7.
Junior Yuliana Svistun came back after dropping the first set of the No. 5 contest to defeat the Cowgirls’ Maryna Tkachenko, 6-7 (5), 6-0, 1-0 (4), while senior Lauren Hommell got off to a quick start in the No. 6 slot before Oklahoma State’s Jessica Collins retired from the match with an injury.
Kansas will look to continue its solid play next weekend when Baylor and Texas Tech visit Lawrence. KU will face the Bears, who are currently second in the nation, on Saturday at 11 a.m. before taking on the Red Raiders on Sunday, also at 11 a.m.
Results
Doubles
1) Avdeeva/Horvath (KU) def. Allen/I. Tkachenko (OSU), 8-3
2) Karaitiana/Belova (OSU) def. Hommell/Dorn (KU), 8-5
3) Martinez/Tokarczyk (KU) def. Collins/M. Tkachenko (OSU), 8-1
Singles
1) Magdalena Tokarczyk (KU) def, Iryna Tkachenko (OSU), 6-3, 7-6 (3)
2) Elizaveta Avdeeva (KU) def. Yawna Allen (OSU), 6-3, 6-1
3) Jo-Anne Karaitiana (OSU) def. Edina Horvath (KU), 6-3, 6-1
4) Kunigunda Dorn (KU) def. Sasha Belova (OSU), 6-4, 6-2
5) Yuliana Svistun (KU) def. Maryna Tkachenko (OSU), 6-7 (5), 6-0, 1-0 (4)
6) Lauren Hommell (KU) def. Jessica Collins, 4-0, inj. default
